Track for rolling door



Fels. 4, 1958 Yw..w.` MDoNALD TRACK FoR ROLLING DooR v IN V EN TOR.

zum' WMCDMM lFiled July 25, 1955.

United States vattain'O TRACK FOR ROLLING DOOR William W. McDonald,Tacoma, Wash., assignor to Washington Steel Products, Inc., Tacoma,Wash., a corporation of Washington Application July 25, 1955, Serial No.524,248

2 Claims. (Cl. 16-96) This invention relates to tracks for rolling doorsof the class adapted for rolling sideways movement in the door framingmembers.

Although numerous types of tracks for rolling doors heretofore have beendevised, none of them has been constructed in such a manner that it canbe integrated with the door frame and wall. Accordingly it is thegeneral purpose of the present invention to provide a rolling door trackcharacterized by the following and other objects and advantages:

(1) It is securely fastened to and integrated with the door framingmembers and wall thereby stabilizing the track and improving theoperation of the door.

(2) It serves the secondary but important function of receiving andsupporting plaster which may be placed around the doorway, therebyfurther securing the track.

(3) It enables plastering the doorway flush with the opening, therebygiving it a modern, attractive appearance.

(4) It makes possible eliminating the molding which customarily isplaced around the doorway, thereby reduc ing the cost of installing thedoor while at the same time providing a doorway of finished, attractiveappearance.

(5) It provides a track wherein the rollers operate smoothly and withouthazard of der-ailment.

(6) It makes possibi-e mounting the door on the track and removing ittherefrom as desirable or necessary, easily and without hazard ofcracking the plaster around the doorway even though the plaster isapplied to the very edge of the doorway opening. v

(7) It makes possible silent operation of the door assembly.

(8) It is adaptable for installation in doorways of various shapes andsizes.

(.9) lt provides in a single unit, which may be inexpensively made fromextruded -aluminum or otherwise, means for mounting rolling doors andalso for receiving and supporting plaster applied around the doorway.

The manner in which the foregoing and other objects of this inventionare accomplished will be apparent from the following specification andclaims considered together with the drawings, wherein a specificembodiment of the invention is illustrated.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a sectional view in elevation illustrating the hereindescribed rolling door track mounted in a doorway and supporting rollingdoors in operative position; and

Fig. 2 is a sectional view in elevation similar to Fig. l, illustratingthe manner in which the doors may be removed from the track.

The herein described rolling door track is adapted for use particularlywith doors which are adapted to roll or slide in the plane of the doorinto a recess provided in the side of the door opening, or along thesidewall adjacent the same. Such installations are to be found inkitchen cabinets, closets, wardrobes, and passageways in dwellings andother structures. The track may be applied where a single door panel isemployed or where two or more panels are employed in overlappingrelationship to each other to close off an opening of substantial span.In the presently illustrated embodiment, the track shown is adapted foruse with two such door panels.

Generally stated, the rolling door track of the present inventioncomprises a base adapted to be secured to an upper framing member of thedoorway, longitudinally thereof. Means are provided on the base foraligning it in this operative position, and for gripping or engaging theframing member, anchoring the track in place.

A track member also is provided, depending from the base, for mountingthe wheels by which the door is sup ported. T-he track member may beoffset vertically to make possible free tracking of the wheels. Also,the base of the track may be provided with downwardly-de pressedlongitudinally extending sections directly above the wheels forpreventing their derailment.

Still further, there is provided attached to the track member andextending laterally outwardly therefrom, a web having a terminalsubstantially horizontal section. This web is dimensioned and positionedfor receiving and supporting plaster which may be vapplied about thedoor opening. At the same time it screens and protects the track androller assemblies.

Considering the foregoing in greater detail and with particularreference to the drawings:

As will be seen from Figs. l and 2, the rolling door track of myinvention is adapted for attachment to the under surface of the upperhorizontal door framing member 10. lt comprises a base section 12 havinga central flat portion 14, a pair of longitudinally extending,downwardly depressed sections 16, 18 and, along its upper longitudinaledges, a pair of ridges 20, 22.

The central flat section 14 may be perforated at spaced intervals sothat the track may be fastened to framing member 10 by means of screws24, or other suitable fastening mans. Depressed sections 16, 18 preventderailment of the door wheels in a manner which will be made moreapparent hereinafter. Longitudinal ridges 20,` 22 provide means forreadily aligning the track in the door. Also, upon tightening screws 24,the ridges bite into the framing members slightly, anchoring the trackin its operative position. i

Depending from the base member are track members for supporting therolling doors. The inner or left hand track member, as viewed in thedrawings, comprises-a side section 26 and a traction section 28. Theside section is inclined from the vertical downwardly, in the directionof the traction section to provide side clearance for the wheelsmounting the door. This feature prevents rubbing of the side faces ofthe wheels,A against the slideJ section of the track member. i

The traction section 28 extends laterally from side section 26 of thetrack member and is contoured to receive the door wheels in rollingengagement. It will be noted that it lies below and substantiallyopposite depressed section 16 of base member 12.

The outer or right hand track member, as viewed in Figs. l and 2, isconstructed similarly to the inner track member in that it comprises aside section 30 and a traction section 32. Like side section 26, sidesection 3@ is inclined from the vertical, downwardly and in thedirection of the traction section for affording s-ide clearance to thedoor wheels which it supports. Like traction section 28, section 32extends laterally from the side section to which it is connected. Itunderlies and is opposite depressed section 18 of base member 12. Inaddition, it is contoured to support and guide a door wheel.

As has been indicated, traction sections 28, 32, are adapted to receivethe wheels by which the doors are supported, indicated at 34,A 36,respectively. These are mounted for rotation in a vertical plane onbrackets or door hangers, indicated generally at 38, 40, respectively.The hangers` include head sections, 42, 44, respectively, rotatablymounting wheels 34, 36. `"They Aalso includethe angled sections,46, 4SAwhich embrace corners ofthe doors, thereby stabilizing the hangers andalso offsetting the wheels which they carry inthe direction of thecentral plane of the door so that the'door hangs straight. Stillfurther,` the hangers include base sections 50, 52, respectively, whichmay be fastened to doors 54, 56 by means of screws, or otherwise.

Means are further provided for integrating the track with thesurrounding structural components. This stabilizes the track andprovides support for plaster or other structural materials which may beused to linish the outer surface of the doorway.

In the illustrated form, such means comprise a web indicated generallyat 60. The web preferably is attached to the lower portion of sidesection 30 of the outer track member, substantially at the point ofjuncture of the side section and traction section 32 thereof. lt extendsgenerally outwardly and downwardly in a lateral direction, opposite thedirection of extension of traction section 32.

Web 60 includes a `connecting section 62 which preferably is downwardlyarcuate to aord clearance for the outer edge of door 56. The outer edgeof the connecting section merges with a terminal, substantiallyhorizontal section 64. The web thus serves as an integrating member forintegrating the track 12 with other structural elements of the doorassembly. This may be accomplished by covering it with plaster 66applied to the door opening. In this case the web 60 serves as aplasterground, receiving the plaster and supporting it.

In the alternative if it is not desired to plaster the doorway to thevery edge of the opening, a molding or facing board may be seated interminal section 64 of web 60 and nailed to structural member l in placeof plaster 66, in an unillustrated but self-evident manner. The hereindescribed track thus is versatile in permitting the construction ofdoorways of various designs.

The manner of installation and mode of operation of the herein describedtrack is apparent frompthe above. First, the track is screwed orotherwise affixed to the upper horizontal structural member of thedoorway. The doorway opening then may be finished off either byplastering it, the plaster being received and supportedA by web'60, byapplying facing boards around the `opening,vor, otherwise.

The doors then may be hung by placing the wheels on which theyaresupported in the respective traction sections 28, `32 of the trackmembers. This maybetaccomplished easily by inclining each door, slippingthe wheels into the traction section and then permitting the doorhtoassume its normal, vertical, operative position. This operation isgreatlyv facilitated by reason of the fact ythat 4 the ceiling ofcentral section 14 of the base member is elevated, affording sufficientroom'for manipulation of the door and attached wheels. When it isdesired to remove the doors, the foregoing procedure is reversed.

When the doors are in operative position, the wheels clear side sections26, 30 of the track members because of the inclination of the same.Also, they are confined by depressed sections 16, 18 of base member 12so that it is difcult to derail the doors during normal operation, aslong as they remain in a vertical position. Still further, the track isstabilized by engagement of ridges 20, 22 with structural member 10, aswell as by the interlocking effect of plaster 66, or in the alternative,of a facing board installed in lieu thereof, either of whichinter-engages the track with the structural members of the door. Thisprevents vibration and displacement of the track during its operation.

Having thus described my invention in preferred embodments, I claim:

1.l A track for rolling doors equipped with wheels, comprising anelongated horizontal base, a track member depending from the base andterminating in an inwardly directed traction section for the wheels of arolling door, means projecting downwardly from the base and positionedvertically above the traction section for preventing derailment from thetraction section of the wheels of a rolling door when the latter ismoved in a vertical direction, and a web on the track member adjacentthe traction section and extending laterally outward and downward fromthe latter a distance sucient to afford clearance for the adjacent outeredge of a rolling door when the door is tilted and moved in an obliquedirection dur ing installation and removal thereof, said web havingmeans thereon for supporting plaster and the like whereby the tractionsection is concealed.

2. The track of claim 1 wherein said means for supporting plaster andthe like includes a substantially horizontal section projectinglaterally outward from the lower edge of the web.

OTHER REFERENCES Track No. 1040, illustrated in American Builder, vol.'#75, No. l, January 1953, page 249. Y

Track No. OT200, illustrated in American vol..#76, No. 3, March 1954,pagesl 12 and 13.

Architectural Forum, March 1939, page 210.

Builder,

